An agreement could be announced as soon as this weekend, said the person, who declined to be named because the talks are private. Talks could still fall apart, the person said.

Quest, which agreed in March to be bought by private-equity firm Insight Venture Partners for about $2 billion, has said it received other offers. The company makes software to help businesses manage databases and servers, as well as back up information and recover lost data. Dell, the third-largest maker of personal computers, is using deals to help it cater to corporate customers and lessen its reliance on PCs.